"I also think it is extremely important that Europe and the United States have stood together in terms of the sanctions regime, not only for the crime for trying to take Crimea away but also, of course, for all the activities in eastern Ukraine - the military intervention and the support for separatists, the displacement and killing of Ukrainian people so that coalition should not be taken for granted. I think countries tend to vote (for) their interests and even if they believe in principles, some countries, sadly, when it comes to economic interests, can put principles to one side and that hasn't happened. In a lot of European countries that are affected - whether it's in terms of natural gas flow or in terms of their trade relationship - and yet, they've stood strong to isolate Russia - so there's been a real cost imposed on Russia. The economy of Russia in 2013 was one eighth the size of that of the United States, today it is one sixteenth. Junk status given to them by Moody’s and SNP - it’s not a climate investors would be tempted to invest in - so although it's not happening as quickly as the Ukrainian people understandably want, particularly the people of Crimea - this is taking its toll, its affecting Putin and the elites calculus and it's a matter of time I think before Ukraine gets to be whole and feel sovereign again."
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